A. Stage-I (Strengthening Stage: funding for 3 years):

i. The College should have at least four B.Sc. courses (3 for rural category) in basic/applied sciences such as Botany, Zoology, Applied Life Sciences, Microbiology, Physiology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology etc.

In the registration form, there should be no allowance for gaps in the "Name" field. Please ensure this is restricted

ii. Adequate in-house regular faculty with relevant expertise in each participating department

iii. There should be at least four teachers (two for rural category) with PhD in all participating departments taken together.

iv. Independent laboratories for practicals to accommodate sanctioned student strength.

v. Lecture halls/rooms for theory classes with adequate capacity for sanctioned student strength.

vi. Basic infrastructure and facilities in laboratories and library, LCD / overhead projection facilities, Computers with internet access.

vii. College must be Government or Government aided or autonomous college included under Section 2(f) and 12(B) of UGC Act, 1956 under College Category. University departments/Colleges not listed under College Category in UGC list are not eligible.

viii. Colleges under Not-for-Profit status and GOVT. AIDED Colleges would be considered as Academic Institutions (Private) option during the process of online submission of proposal. They must submit DARPAN ID.

ix. Colleges that have been not recommended for support can re-apply for this programme for financial support with appropriate modifications and revisions after a gap of one year. However, if a college has been rejected in two consecutive rounds of evaluation, whether at the level of Screening or after presentation before the Task Force it would not be allowed to apply again till a cooling period of two years has elapsed.

x. Addition of new departments: Colleges requesting support for addition of new departments should first complete one cycle of support i.e. 3 years with the departments that the initial grant was recommended. The colleges can apply for new departments only if they had been graded as ‘Good’ or above in their final review.

Note: Department/ the Concerned Committee/Task Force may while considering/examining the proposals of the colleges pertaining to rural areas, grant relaxation from any of the criteria mentioned above.